Trolley-catcher.



Patented Dec.l1`1,1917. 2 HEETS-SHEET A@ m 9 I n0 II. Ro ...t2 |.I-Hnnl .LCM RTI AAD EGE, Il. YL IIEH 2 L .LN C00 nnl T IA W m.. P Z A C. l. EARLL.

.TROLLEY CATCHER.

APPucAnoN man APR. 2o. 191e.

Patented Dec. 11,12%?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lllllllll lll uti"nrrnn sanrns PATENT OFFICE CHARLES lf. EARLL, Oli' YORK, Y.

TRLLEY-GATCHER.

To all whom t may concern.'

13e it lrnoivn that l, CHARLES, l. EARLL, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of city7 county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful linprovements in Trolley-Catchers, of which the following lis a specification.

My invention relates to trolley catchers and Vsimilar devices for the control of the trolley ropes of electriccars.

nfhe object of my invention is to provide a trolley catcher Which shall be simple and effective in its construction and operation, one that is especially adapted to operate effectively Where low trolley pole pressures are employed and one which is particularly convenient as regards its manipulation and care.

ll/ly invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter pointed out and described.

ln the drawings accompanying` and form ing part of this specification Figure 1 is a transverse section of a trolley catcher embodyinn,l the preferred form of my invention. lfig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of 1. Fig". 3 is a partial section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. l*1 i0: l is a partial section on line lr-4: of lfig. 1. Fig. 5 is a partial section corresponding to Fig. 1 showing certain parts in different operative positions. Fig. t? is a top view of the check paivl lll. lfig. 7 is an end view of the tension spring hub 6, and lEig. 8 is a partial section of the shell 2.

fhe trolley catcher is adapted to be received into a socket secured to the dash or end of the car in a manner which is Well understood and not illustrated herein.

rllhe case is comprised of tvvo parts7 the baclr 1 and the front or shell 2. llhe bach is preferably made of a casting and has the teeth 3 formed therein. The front or shell 2 is preferably made of drawn steel and `is provided with an openino` l through which the .trolley rope passes. Mounted centrally in the case is the shaft 5 to the front end of which is secured the tension spring` hub 6 and on the rear end in threaded engagement is the nut 7 held from turning` by a cotter pin 8. 'llhe tension spring hub eX- tends inwardly and receives the inner end of the tension spring 9. rlhe outer end of the tension spring is engaged with the drum 1U. 'llhe tension spring hub has a flange 11 nf'hich, on the side adjacent to the shell Specification of Letters Patent; Patntd D960 11, 191W Application filed April 20, 1916.

Serial No. 92,361.

2, is provided with ratchet teeth or projections 12 adapted to engage corresponding teeth or projections 35 stamped or formed in the shell 2 so that the tension spring hub may be turned in the direction which will Wind up the tension spring7 but prevented by said projections from turning in the opposite direction. The elasticity of the Shell is sufficient to permit this turning` of the tension spring hub. Un the rear end of the drum is formed the stud 13 on Which is mounted the check pawl 14 and the counter balance l5. The check paivl is adapted to engage the teeth 3 of the back when in its outer position but clears said teeth when it restsagainst the banking 1G in its inner position.

Pivoted to the check pawl is the centrifugal pan/l 17 which in its inner position rests against the banlriup; 18 and in its outer position is adapted to engage the teeth 3 of the back. lft is normally hold in its inner position by the spring 19. The centrifugal pawl has an extension 2() which engages a slot 21 in the counter balance, the counter balance being,` pivotally mounted on the stud 13 on which the check paivl is mounted. rlhis counter balance is of such size and forni as to counter balance the effect of gravity upon the centrifugal pawl :is the drum revolves back and forth, so that when the trolley jumps the wire and starts upwardly in a rapid motion, in a manner which is niell understood, the centrifugal paivl will fly out Ward when it has obtained the same speed or acceleration, no matter at What point in the `revolution it happens to be when the trolley j umpsa The arrangement of the check pavvl pivoted to the drum and the centrifugal paivl pivoted to the check paivl is similar to that shown in my Patent No. 1,110,758 of Sept. th, 191e, and this feature of my present invention retains all of the advantages describedin my ilormer patent in adn dition to the advantages resulting` from having` a practically perfectly balanced centrifugal pawl. rlhe check paivl lt consists, or is formed of, tivo parallel webs 22 joined together at the end and the centrifugal paivl and counter balance are received between those two webs, the centrifugal pavvl being pivoted on the pin 3l and the counter balance on the stud 13 on the drum. rlthe web of the check paivl nearest the drum is provided with a flange or extension 2st which passes under the lug 25 in such a manner that the check pawl is retained in position on the stud 13 when the trolley catcher is iisseinbled. lWhen, hoire'ier, the drinn is taken from the case and the centrifugal piiivl spring 19 is unhooked, the check pziiif'l iniiy he readily turned outwiirdly until the lliiige is out of range of the or menging lug 25 and i'freely lifted from the stud 13. By ineens of iis construction the assembling ind disasseinbling,` is greatly facilitated. rIfhe side of the drinn is provided with :in opening 26 which is of suliicientsize to receive the knotted end of the trolley rope. This opening is provided with 2i narrower extenH sion Q7 against which the rope is pulled :Lifter the knot lnis been passed through the opening,` 2G to iittiich the rope to the drinn. 28 is stud liorined on the nice oi the drinn on which is mounted the driin check piirl 2Q. rl'he spring` 30, engaging the stud id the pziiifl 29, tends to more the pziirl outwardly. rIilhe end 3l of the peiiil` extends out in the plane of the teeth 3 of the loecl; und the piiWl is provided with en zirni 32 which extends through iin opening in the flange ot' the druni out over t ie tace oi' the drinn so that when the rope is Wound on the drinn it -will pass over :ind hold down the zirni 32 against the face of the drinn, and 'when the rope is unwound from the drinn to that extent which es the erin 82, the spring` 30 irill push the piiiiil outi'zirdly in the piith of the teeth 8 in the back rind prevent the drinn troni turning,` in the direction which ii'inds up the trolley rope thereon which is the direction in which the tension spring` 9 tends to turn the drinn. lt will thus he seen that the drinn will be iiiitoniiiticiilly locked 'frein running airziy under the action of the tension spring before the rope Ais detached 'lfroni the drinn. lifter the rope has been attached to the driini by passing` :i knot through the opening 26, the :irin 32 of the piiirl 2,9 is pressed downwardly thus rel msing the drinn and permitting the tension spring to turn it in the direction to Wind up the rope. lt .is held down manually until the drinn hais turned sufficiently to bringy the zirin under he rope after which the rope holds the iii-in down until it is again iinivound.

living thus described my invention, Wliiit l clziiin is:

l. in e trolley czither the conilgiinectio*Y iif'itl'i i drinn and a trolley rope seein thereto, of ineens for nutoniiiticiilly loc 'n the drinn :it e predetermined point in tl unwinding of rope therefrom.

2. lin i trolley catcher the coinoiniit n' With a drinn, ii trolley rope seciired thereto, and e spring adapted to rotate seid drin i to Wind up said rope, ot iiieiiuf-i Llfor ziiiioniiitically locking` seid drinn against the iicion of said spring it u predetermined point iii. the uniiiinding` of rope frein said drinn.

- 8 ln e trolley catcher the combination ii'ii'li :i drinn, :i trolley ope secured ilierelo und ii spring` :ii/lziped to rohiie sziid drinn lo wind up saiid rope, et nieiiiis independenl el, the nieiinslii' riliirn snid rope is seiiired lo .l iiiiloinzil'ieiilly loeliinnj :":iid

'ie iiiflien olf :luid spring.

'lier tlie eonniiiinioii Yo rotiilo .sind drinn io iieziis indeii-iiident of pe is si-,iiired lo ly locking' .si lil siiiil spring;` :i :i iiiiuiiidingg olftlio i "lie, :ictio ol i i ilie eii inoiintcd .i

rolley czitclier lille eoniliiiiiition ,i ol ii spring; :ieiiiiiied di'iini :i siiid crise, :i trolley rope .seein-ed to siiid drinn, ineii is to iiii'oiinilieiilly i'liei'li the drinn who i the speed :ii iiliieli i'lie rope, ls i predeliei trolley ciitclier the conbiiiiition liiii'i ,z g :i toolli or nliiitnient, :i

i led drinn nioiiiited in seid eiise,

iliiipid y ozitrolleil clieelrini;v device.

i i said drinn :ind :idiipiid io fiid tooth ii'licn the drinn is iiii'ned one di'iclioii, zi id inezinf-iconnect eiA ith siiii, drinn :ind :idiipied lo enfnifri'o s tooth or iiliiitineiit to ii'eieni, ilie drinn from turning; in the, opposii direi'liioii.

i 8. in :i trolley ci: chir the coinliiiiiition ii'itli ii drinn zidiipicd te receiie Jilie trollev rope, of :i el; pxiul pii'oted to .seid diiini, :i centrifugal priiil pivote-,d to smid loeli pziiil, ziiid zi con iter liziliince connected ii'iili siiid drinn und sii-,id izentriliiiiljiil piiiil :idzipied lo siihstii itiiilly counter-linlzinee die elieet i upon sziid centri'lfiipjnl piiii'l.

ln :i trolley7 ciilclier the eoniliiniition with :i eine, ot i drinn nioiiiil'eil iii :raziid elise` ai piiiil pi.ot;ill \v inoiiiited on siii/.l drinn :ind adapted to ein .if (ii inge sind cin-1e, :i centrilngiil iiiifl pivotal inoiiiied oi fiiiid piiul ;id:iptcd to enge., crisi :ind i` eoiinlerlmlziiiee nioniiied en siii( drinn iiiid connected irilli siiid eeiiti'i lfi :irl

l0. ln :i trolle)v ciililier lie eoiiiliiinilion ii'illi :i czisc, oll i drnii nioiinifed in lsziiil ense. n. piiirl piiotiilly nir/uniV `d en .siiid drinn :ind adopted to engage siii d euse, i centrifugal 11;

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punit pvotaflty mounted on said @and adapt ed to engage said oase and a oounterbalanee mounted pvotelly conoent'o with seid pztwl on said drum and Connected with sind een' tlfugol pzwvl.

l1. n n trolley Catcher the Combination with L ease, one side of which is adapted to yield elosteally, of a shaft mounted in seid ease having flanges secured thereto adapted to engage the enteloof said oase, one of said flanges having engaging projections adapted to engage pl'ojeotions on said oase.

lin testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification iin the presence oft' two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES; I. ELRLL.

Witnesses Fnonnnon J. VVALs-n t. J. lttlononn.

nomen mi. tlkns patent man he obtained :for ve nente each, by addressing, the Gonnntssonet mi Patente, Washington, itt. t, 

